Asiamet taps Darryn McClelland as its new chief executive

Asiamet Resources announced the appointment of Darryn McClelland as its chief executive officer on Friday.

The AIM-traded firm said McClelland would bring more than 25 years of mining development, operations and senior management experience across Australia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Eritrea and Ghana to the company.

Of particular relevance to its business was his experience in mine start-ups and commissioning, copper and polymetallic open-pit mining operations including copper leaching, and more than seven years of direct operating experience in Indonesia.

McClelland is currently chief operating officer for PT Agincourt Resources, leading the operational and exploration functions of its 300,000 ounces-per-annum Martabe Gold Mine in North Sumatera, Indonesia.

The Martabe mine employs more than 3,000 staff and contractors, operating to what Asiamet described as “high international safety and ESG” standards.

It said the appointment of McClelland as CEO would add strong mine development and operational leadership capability to its executive management and board, as it transitioned from an explorer to a developer.

McClelland would join the company on 13 June, based in Jakarta.

Asiamet said Darryn McClelland holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mineral Processing from the University of Queensland, an MBA from University of Southern Queensland, a Graduate Diploma in Mining Engineering from Curtin University, and a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety from Edith Cowan University.

“I am excited to be joining the Asiamet team at a critical inflection point in the company's development,” said Darryn McClelland.

“Asiamet has a strong pipeline of high-quality growth opportunities across its two core projects and is well positioned to make the transition from explorer to copper producer and become a meaningful contributor to the global drive towards energy transition and decarbonisation.

“I look forward to working closely with the Asiamet board to deliver on the company's strategy of becoming a mid-tier Indonesian copper and associated base and precious metals producer.”

At 1415 GMT, shares in Asiamet Resources were up 1.19% at 2.13p.